By Julie Power and Josefine Ganko
A man has been charged with a series of offences after he allegedly assaulted a woman with an axe, stole her Ford Mustang and then ran her over with it before driving at 180km/h through NSW South Coast towns on Saturday afternoon.
Caleb Flentjar, 25, allegedly led police on an hour-long pursuit beginning in Nowra, passing through Berry and ending near Kiama, as police helicopters and road spikes were used in attempts to apprehend him.
The Ford Mustang at the end of the pursuit.Credit: Nine News
The chase ended when Flentjar collided with a car, and members of the public detained him.
The incident began when officers were called to a home east of Nowra shortly before 1pm on Saturday after reports that a man was armed with an axe and a hammer.
When members of the South Coast Police District arrived at the home on Rayleigh Drive, Worrigee, Flentjar allegedly threw the axe at a police vehicle.
Flentjar fled the police on foot, running to a nearby home where he assaulted a 66-year-old woman while she was sitting in a “one of a kind” 2017 Ford Mustang.
Police allege the man hit the woman several times with the axe before forcing her out of the car. The woman was then run over by her own car as Flentjar drove it away, sustaining serious injuries to her legs and torso.
Police pursued the man through the NSW South Coast towns of Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong and Kiama at 180km/h, at times exceeding the speed limit by 100km/h.
Police tried to use road spikes to end the pursuit, but Flentjar swerved the vehicle towards a highway patrol officer, narrowly missing him and the spikes.
With assistance from PolAir, police located the vehicle about an hour later on the Princes Highway heading south.
A 2017 Ford Mustang.Credit: Joel Strickland Photographics
The Mustang was seen driving on the wrong side of the road on the Princes Highway at Kiama Downs, where it collided with a utility before stopping.
Police say Flentjar attempted to run from the scene, but members of the public held him until police arrived.
The 66-year-old woman was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for leg and torso injuries before being taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital in a serious but stable condition. She was later transferred to St George Hospital for further treatment.
Flentjar was arrested and taken under police guard to Wollongong Hospital. He was released from hospital on Sunday, and taken to Wollongong Police Station, where he was charged with 11 counts of 10 separate charges over the events of Saturday.
The eleven offences include aggravated taking of a motor vehicle with a person in it while armed with a weapon, failing to stop and assist after a vehicle impact causes grievous bodily harm, using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful apprehension, driving while disqualified, pursuit, speeding and larceny.
The 25-year-old was also charged with three outstanding offences over an unrelated incident earlier last week, including a domestic-violence-related charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He has been refused bail and will front court on July 22.
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